Moral of the Story
by bl19
Summary: Mentions of "the other time" and stuff from The Choice. Logically, this takes place post-Asterisk. First Suits story! Be nice. :) 3/3 - COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

"Don't take this the wrong way but…why the hell are you still in my office?" Harvey asked with an annoyed tone. Mike had paced back and forth for the first half hour and then proceeded to sigh loudly, once every ten minutes, for the last half hour. An hour worth of this was more than Harvey could take. He put his pen down, clasped his hands together and looked at his protégé with as much patience as he could muster up.

Harvey couldn't quite place his finger on what was bugging Mike and he was in no mood to continue having to listen to Mike's not-so-silent declarations of sadness.

With another sigh, Mike collapsed down onto the leather sofa, Kobe Bryant-signed basketball in his hands. "You know, you never did tell me what case won you this basketball. Was Kobe your client? Or was it someone in his entourage?"

"You did not just pace back and forth like an expectant father outside the OR for the past hour just to ask me about the basketball. And, by the way, who gave you permission to pick that up? Put the damned ball back. Now."

Mike obliged, plopping the orange ball back on its stand, but not before sighing once more.

"Ok, if you sigh one more goddamned time, I'm going to call security and have them escort you out of this building."

"How do you do it, Harvey?"

Harvey furrowed his eyebrows. Mike was still standing by the window where the basketballs were lined up. He was faced towards the outside, making it impossible for Harvey to read him. "I'm sure I'll regret this but…how do I do what, Mike?"

"Pretend like you don't care. I mean, don't get me wrong, I know you're a softie at heart." Mike turned briefly to look at his mentor pointedly before turning back to the window and continuing, "Doesn't it ever get hard for you to walk around here like you don't give a shit when, deep down, you really, really do?"

"Oh come on, don't tell me you've been moping around here all night just to give me another one of your, 'Stop being such a robot, Harvey' lectures."

"I don't think you're a robot, Harvey. An asshole, maybe, but not a robot." Mike grinned. "When you told me I had to choose between Rachel and this job, I really wanted to tell you to go to hell. Actually, I wanted to punch you in the face but…ya know, you being my boss and all…"

"Is there a point to this?" Harvey asked impatiently.

"You know who it was that finally convinced me that _maybe_ you were really looking out for me?" When Harvey provided no guess, Mike offered, "It was Donna."

Harvey nodded. "There's a reason I keep her around."

"Right, right…Donna runs a tight ship around here. She keeps your schedule tidy, she fends off unwanted visitors, she…"

"Again, is there a point to this?"

"You know how she convinced me that I should take your advice?"

"No, but I'm sure you're about to tell me."

"She said that it was still possible to work together even after…" Mike trailed off though they both understood what was unsaid. "She said that the feelings eventually go away…you know, she was so convincing." He shook his head, "It was almost like she had gone through the same thing herself." He stopped and looked at Harvey.

After what seemed like an eternity, Harvey shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "I don't know what you're waiting for but if you're done your little story, I'd appreciate it if you would close the door on your way out."

"That woman was willing to give up her job, even risk getting sued to protect you, and you're just gonna sit there and pretend like you don't give a shit?"

"Not that it's any of your business but I never said I didn't give a shit. If I didn't give a shit, I wouldn't have gotten her back."

"Did you do to her what you asked me to do to Rachel?" Mike knew he was crossing a line but he couldn't stop now. He backed up a few steps as Harvey got up from his chair and started towards him. "Did you choose your job over Donna?"

Harvey's jaw tightened and his hands clenched into fists but he stopped a few steps short of being right in Mike's face. When he spoke, his voice was a low but not angry, like Mike had expected. No, his voice was filled with something else. "I didn't choose."

It took a minute for Mike to find his footing. He had expected a punch or, at the very least, a verbal lashing but this? This was different, then it hit him, what he heard in Harvey's voice was nothing more than sadness. He decided that since he had pushed so much already, it would be pointless to turn around so he forged ahead. "What do you mean?"

Harvey was silent for a few minutes. He stumbled tiredly over to the couch and sat down, sighing loudly, before looking back up at Mike. "Do you really think a woman like Donna would stick around for so long if I had made her a second choice?"

"I…think you mean enough to her that she would understand you making a choice like that." Mike frowned, still confused about what Harvey meant.

"You're right, it _was_ a choice but it wasn't _my_ choice."

Mike opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. This side of Harvey he had never seen before struck him speechless. He had always believed this side existed but, now that he had seen it, he wondered if he had ever really wanted to see it in the first place.

It was too late to turn back. Harvey was so within his own thoughts that he had completely missed the dumbstruck look on Mike's face. "When we left the D.A.'s office, Jessica immediately offered me a place here at the firm. It was every associate's dream to get a job here at Pearson-Hardman but I wasn't happy. Grateful, but not happy. I had been at the D.A.'s office for a short period of time but I had done more than anyone could've ever done. All the hard work I had put in, the reputation I had built up? That was all gone. I was leaving all that behind to, essentially, start over. I knew I would have to work ten times as hard to regain what I had lost…and more. I wanted more."

"Which is when you chose…"

"Don't you get it? I didn't have to choose." Harvey looked up at Mike, too tired to hide the mess of disappointment and hurt in his eyes. "She chose for me."

For a moment, Mike thought he had meant Jessica, just like how Harvey had chosen for him. Then he finally realized the source of Harvey's helplessness. "Donna chose."

This time, Harvey had no response. He stared blankly ahead, allowing the exhaustion to overcome him. As much as he had buried that night in the depths of his memory, he could never escape it. Even now, it felt just like yesterday…

"_So, dinner tonight?" He grinned ear-to-ear. "With my new paycheck, we can finally try that new French restaurant you can't stop talking about." He leaned back in his brand-new leather chair, at his brand-new desk, in his brand-new office. It bothered him to know he would have to start over but there was no place better to start over than at Pearson-Hardman. He was proudly surveying his new surroundings when her voice brought him out of his reverie._

"_I can't. I mean…we can't."_

_He looked up at her and was suddenly acutely aware of how sad she looked. "What are you talking about, Donna? What's wrong?"_

"_At the D.A.'s office, you were the only Assistant D.A. Here? You're one of, about, 25 associates. Not to mention, there's 3 junior partners and 6 senior partners above you. Sure, Jessica Pearson personally hired you but, you and I both know that means nothing at a firm like this. You're going to need put 100% of your time and effort into achieving what I know you're capable of. Whatever we thought this," She gestured at the empty space between them, "could be…just can't work."_

"_But that time at your apartment, you said you…"_

"_I know what I said, Harvey." She could barely get the last few words out before her voice cracked, "But I was wrong."_

_Immediately, his body stiffened and the smile dropped from his face. When he spoke, his voice was cold. "So that's it? Just as I'm going to start a new chapter in my life, just when I need you the most, you're just going to leave?"_

"_No," She shook her head, "Harvey, I'm not leaving you. God knows you'll never find a secretary who can do what I do for you." She offered a painful smile before continuing, "But we need to do this right. It's for the best."_

"Harvey? Harvey!"

Harvey snapped back to reality and found Mike looking at him with an uncomfortable amount of worry. He quickly broke eye contact and got up abruptly from the couch. "Moral of this story is you don't get to stand there and tell me what I asked you to do is impossible. It's not impossible."

As quickly as he came, vulnerable Harvey disappeared back into the shell that Mike knew best. Mike chuckled and shook his head. "No, it's not impossible but I'm not you, Harvey. I can't work with a girl I love and pretend like I don't."

"Is this you telling me you're quitting?"

"No, this is me telling you that it doesn't have to be a choice. You maybe the best closer in town and you maybe able to talk your way out of any case but you can't lie to yourself. Donna said that feelings eventually go away but the real moral of this story is that that's not true." With that, Mike turned and left.

Harvey sunk into the leather chair at his desk, allowing his head to drop against the back of the chair. He hated to admit it but Mike was right. After all these years, his feelings for Donna had never gone away. He had just gotten better at hiding them. Was it the same for her?

There was only one way to find out…


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Flashback chapter. It was just itching to get out. There will be a total of 3 chapters. Next one will be the end. :)

* * *

_He watched in quiet musing as she moved about in her kitchen with unending grace. Her fiery red hair was tied up in a messy ponytail and she was dressed comfortably in sweatpants and a t-shirt. This was a completely different but incredibly fascinating side of Donna he silently wished no one ever got to see but himself but who was he kidding? He tore his eyes away from her for just a second to give the small but cozy apartment a quick scan. There were no hints of another inhabitant, much less a male one. Was Donna single? He turned back to the kitchen and smiled as he continued watching her. No way a woman like that was single._

_It was then that it suddenly dawned on him how little he really knew about his secretary. He knew the basics, facts that every boss should know of their assistant – where she was from (upstate), where she attended school (Brown), her first job out of school (assistant to the previous A.D.A.) – but knew very little else._

"_Hey! Are you gonna keep staring or are you actually gonna help?"_

_He looked up to find her looking back at him with those big, round eyes that…_

"_I'd snap my fingers if my hands were free."_

_Chuckling, he got up and hurried to her side, freeing her hands by taking the casserole dish from her. "Jeez, you sound really demanding. How does your boss put up with you?"_

"_Better question would be – how do I put up with him?" She didn't miss a beat._

_He smiled again, joining her at the little round table by the window. "Need I remind you that you're the one who invited me?"_

"_Yeah, to prove to you that I can throw dinner parties that don't turn out to be a level ten disaster."_

"_Don't be too hard on yourself." He paused, "At worst, the last one was a level nine. And anyway, not much of a dinner party if I'm the only guest."_

"_You're the only guest that complained."_

"_Jessica Pearson didn't complain because she's too classy to do so."_

"_Harvey Specter, I threw that party to give you a chance to ask her for a place at her firm. Just because you didn't take advantage doesn't mean my party was a disaster."_

"_You're the one who called it a disaster in the first place!"_

"_To give you a chance to disagree."_

_He gave out a hearty laugh. The best lawyers in town were no match for him but Donna? Donna could win any argument with him, any day. "Fine. Your party was not a disaster. And thank you for throwing it in the first place, Donna."_

"_Well, don't apologize just because you think it would appease me."_

"_Donna? Don't push it."_

_Her lips slowly curled up in a smile and he knew the world was alright. The world was always alright with Donna by his side._

_Dinner came and went. Their conversation flowed as easily as the wine that he had brought over. Soon, her cheeks were flushed and she was giggling at the lamest of his jokes. If it was any other girl sitting beside him, he would've made a move by now but something about her made him want to be a gentleman, even though a deeper, more visceral part of him wanted to be anything but._

"_Harvey?"_

_The way she said his name sent a shiver down his spine. When her finger traced a line across the back of his hand, it only made it harder for him to respond. He swallowed hard and managed a weak, "Yes, Donna?"_

"_I'm worried about you."_

"_Why?" He asked, even though he knew the answer._

"_You shouldn't stay at the D.A.'s office. You can't. It won't turn out well."_

"_I owe that man a lot. I can't just leave."_

"_You keep saying that but you know you don't owe him anything." She rested her hand on his and looked at him. "You need to leave."_

_He knew she was right but it wasn't that easy._

_As if reading his mind, she continued, "It's not as hard as you think it is."_

_For a moment, neither of them said anything. He chose his next words carefully. "I…wouldn't be able to find a better secretary…"_

"_What? You think I'd actually stay if you left?" She laughed, shaking her head. How could someone so brilliant be so clueless, sometimes? "There's no way in hell I'm staying. If you go, I go."_

"_You'd do that for me?" He felt a swell of emotions rise up within him. He had to swallow hard again to keep himself in check._

"_I can't believe you'd think otherwise!"_

"_Donna, I know that you think getting a job at Pearson-Hardman is a done deal for me but it's not. Just because I know Jessica Pearson doesn't mean she'll offer me a place at her firm. If I leave, I may not have anything to go into. I wouldn't be able to guarantee you anything."_

"_If you go, I go." She repeated simply._

_Finally, he had to ask, "Why?"_

"_Because you're Harvey. And I'm Donna."_

_A smile found its way onto his lips as the words rung in his ears. It was the best thing he had heard in a really long time and it was the only thing he had to hear tonight. Some people wait for grand gestures and three little words but, to him, this was all he needed. He knew what she meant._


	3. Chapter 3

"Harvey?"

He smiled, happy to know he could still surprise her after all these years. He smiled, despite feeling like his stomach was doing a hundred somersaults, with a hundred more coming straight up.

"Did you forget that I'm already back at work at the firm?" She paused, "Because I'm already back at work at the firm. You no longer have to come here to bother me about coming back." She said the last part at a higher volume and slower pace as if she was speaking to someone who lacked comprehension skills.

"Can't a boss just want to visit his favourite secretary?" He moved forward but was stopped by her hand on his chest. He looked at her innocently. "What?"

"At 11 at night? In some parts of the world, this can be construed as harassment."

"It's not sexual harassment unless…"

"Whoa, cowboy, I just said _harassment_." She deadpanned. They stood this way in her doorway, eyes locked, for several beats before she finally sighed in mock defeat and stepped aside, waving impatiently for him to enter. "Ok, make it quick. I need to get ready for bed. My boss hates it when I'm late." She crossed her arms and shook her head, "He's a real as-…"

"Donna."

"Alright, I'm listening." As she followed him over to the couch, she asked, "Do I have to offer you tea? Is that what people do? Oh, why am I asking you? You never have people over. Well," She nodded her head from side to side, "you have plenty of girls over but offering tea would just make them stay longer than necessary and…" She trailed off, noting that Harvey was now watching her with a smirk. "What?"

"Nothing." He shrugged, smugly brushing some non-existent lint off his pant leg. "Just waiting for you to get all that out of your system."

She narrowed her eyes at him and seemed ready with a witty comeback but it never materialized. Instead, she sank back in her couch and sighed, "Ok, I'm done. Your turn. What was so important that you had to come here to talk to me about?"

This was it. "I talked to Mike." He wasn't really sure why he started off with that but, there it was. Too late to come up with a better opening line. When she gave no response, he elaborated, "He told me you talked to him…about breaking things off with Rachel."

"Right…" She nodded slowly, "He was lost…and angry. I just wanted him to know you weren't the bad guy."

Right. She was being Donna. Always protecting. He smiled, "I know. I'm glad you did. You got through to him in a way I wasn't able to."

"Well, you know, woman's touch and all." She looked away, suddenly feeling very flushed under his gaze.

They sat in silence for a while, him watching her, and her turned away. She looked so vulnerable, so fragile, under the dull light of her vintage lamp. Finally, he spoke again, "He told me exactly what you said to him."

Her head shot up and when she looked at him again, she could barely hide the fear in her eyes. "I didn't mean to…he just…I didn't say anything specific."

"Donna, I'm not mad." He frowned, suddenly feeling very frustrated. He had not meant for this conversation to come off as him giving her a lecture about bringing their past into her conversation with Mike. That was not his intention at all but ever since the incident with the memo, things had been skewed between them. Sometimes, the change seemed so slight, so minute, that it almost felt like they were exactly the same as they used to be. And sometimes, as it was now, the change would seem so big that it hurt him to even think about it. "You can't let what happened get to you…_we _can't let it get to _us_. We're still the same."

Tears welled up in her eyes. She quickly swiped them away as they trickled down her face. "I've always been right about you, Harvey. I thought I knew you so well and yet, I screwed up so badly." She looked at him again, "I screwed up _so _badly."

"And yet, even after all this, you're still the one who knows me best. You know why?" He paused, waiting until she looked up at him curiously before continuing, "Because you're still Donna and I'm still Harvey."

She immediately knew what he meant. The parallels with their conversation, almost 7 years ago, in these exact spots on her couch, weren't lost on her, but, still, she couldn't bring herself to where he wanted her.

He sensed her hesitance. "What is it?"

"We can't turn back, Harvey. If we do this, we can't turn back."

"I know." He nodded. "I'm senior partner already, Donna. Whatever reason we had 5 years ago not to do this," He gestured at the space between them, "it's gone and I'm tired of waiting. You're right. We _can't_ turn back but that's ok…" He smiled, reaching out to sweep a loose strand of her red hair back behind her ear, "I have no intention of turning back." With that, he leaned over and softly kissed her on her lips.

When he finally pulled away, she smiled, narrowing her eyes at him, "_Mike_ made you realize all this?"

"What?" He scoffed, "No!"

She threw her head back and laughed, "I knew I liked that kid for a reason."

He shook his head but grinned as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close again, "He didn't make me realize anything. He just…showed me the real moral of the story. That's all."


End file.
